Bard Guide/Stormblood

See also: Bard and Guides

Retired Content

• The subject of this article was retired or removed from the game in patch 5.0, and is no longer available to players.
• Retired items may still be kept in inventory but can no longer be renewably obtained. Tradable items may still be obtained from the Market Board or directly trading with other players.
• The information in this article is kept and maintained for historical purposes.
• This is the Stormblood era guide. It is now totally obsolete.

Raid and Personal Rotations

This is how I personally handle Bard Rotations. Everyone plays a little bit differently so feel free to edit to your own playstyle.

Set up your DoTs first and foremost.

• Put up Straight Shot first thing, that critical damage boost it gives all your other attacks, especially for you your other two DoTs are very important. Once it reaches about 4 seconds left, you want to throw Straight Shot back up to keep it going.
  • Sometimes Straight Shot will go into Straighter Shot. You are Guaranteed either a critical hit with Straight shot or you'll have a chance to use Refulgent Arrow if you're level 70 and above. You'll always want to take advantage of this.
• After Straight Shot is up, you'll want to throw up Venomous Bite and Windbite next if you're below level 64. Above Level 64 they turn into Caustic Bite and Stormbite.
  • Once the first one you put up hits about 4 seconds left, you want to start recasting them both, or if you're level 56 and higher, you'll want to use Iron Jaws to reset the timer.
• Use Raging Strikes Whenever it becomes available.

Play a song.

They all get their abilities/lights/progs off of your DoTs getting a critical hit. When one song ends, start another and loop between the 3.

• The Wanderer's Minuet is normally the first one I start with if I'm in a raid of if I'm dealing with one big enemy. The critical hit bonus it gives my party members is valuable. Plus the Pitch Perfect attack is pretty powerful when all 3 of the lights are lit.
  • I always wait for the lights to stack 3 times before I pull off Pitch Perfect, either that or I will pull it off with about 3-4 seconds left. Try to get as much out of this as you can.
• Mage's Ballad is the second one I pull off in raids, or the first one I do if I have a group of enemies by myself. Again it gives the critical hit bonus which is nice, but it resets the timer for Bloodletter and Rain of Death allowing you to sort of spam the attacks depending on how many critical hits your Caustic Bite and Stormbite are racking up.
  • Neither Bloodletter or Rain of Death are as powerful as Pitch Perfect if you get two or three light on The Wanderer's Minuet which is why this goes second 99% of the time.
  • I like using Troubadour during this song most because the HP boost I find it more useful over than the two reducing vulnerability effects. However fighting certain Trials I will use this on other songs.
• Army's Paeon is always 3rd. It's extra ability of reducing cast time isn't noticeable even at 4 lights. I will Always cut this song off and Recast The Wanderer's Minuet or Mage's Ballad over it as soon as one of them becomes available.

Use Foe Requiem at every chance you can.

Usually I'll play this right after I select what song to do for the first time, then wait for my mana to get to a respectable amount before triggering it again. This might change with 5.0 and the combination of the MP and TP bars.

Use your other weaponskills and abilities

Mostly to get extra abilities/lights/progs off on my songs and use the song abilities as they come up

• I'll start with Bloodletter or Rain of Death while spamming Heavy Shot depending if single or group, then I will stop spamming Heavy Shot and do Barrage into Empyreal Arrow or Refulgent Arrow if available, and lastly do Sidewinder and start spamming Heavy Shot
  • I will do Barrage for Refulgent Arrow over Empyreal Arrow anyday based on how much harder Refulgent Arrow will hit for.

Misery's End

Once the enemy's health gets low enough, use this. Always.

Other Abilities

• Repelling Shot isn't bad if you aren't moving fast enough to get out an AOE but can be dangerous in certain places as you can just launch yourself right off a ledge and die. Plus moving in a forward diagonal direction is easier and quicker to get out of the way of an AOE.
• Quick Nock isn't bad if you need some quick multi-enemy hit attack between Rain of Death casts, but generally you're better off using Mage's Ballad then spamming Rain of Death through that. The TP drain on this attack is also pretty high. However combining it with Invigorate might make it a bit more worth it.
• Battle Voice Increases Direct Hit rate, which can be useful if you are fighting something thats constantly dodging your hits but since that doesn't happen terribly much, isn't quite that useful.
• The Warden's Paean is incredibly useful. Would recommend it when fighting enemies that you know give off a status effect.
• Nature's Minne is good for when you are in a Raid of some kind either during a Trial or a Boss fight in the dungeon and using it on the Tank most, sometimes healer. Combining it with Palisade makes life easier on the healer of your group. It's a good combination that I recommend in most raids. When on your own using this with Second Wind also is a nice combination.
• Use Tactician if you notice the TP on some of your party members is low. You'll make some friends.
• Use Refresh near your Healer if their MP is running low, particularly in moments where they have to heal a lot of people at once, this can be a legit life saver for your party.
• I never found any useful ways to use Foot Graze, Leg Graze, Head Graze, and Arm Graze

PVP Rotation

Coming coon